


Five Times Alex’s Fanny Packed Helped Sunset Curve and One Time it Helped Alex

by SierraWinchester



Series: JatP, my own personal universe [2]
Category: Julie and The Phantoms (TV)
Genre: 5, 5+1 Things, Allergies, Asthma, Brothers, Family, Fanny Pack, Five Plus One, Fluff, Found Family, JATP, Love, Mild Cursing, Sunset Curve (Julie and The Phantoms), Teen Boys, alexs fanny pack, also i just hate proofreading, bandmates, hurt comfort, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-04
Updated: 2021-02-04
Packaged: 2021-03-16 05:20:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,350
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29201985
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SierraWinchester/pseuds/SierraWinchester
Summary: 5+1Five times where Alex's fanny pack helped the boys of Sunset Curve and one time it helped him.Alex had gotten the fanny pack from a thrift store when he was fifteen. It had just called out to him from the shelf, buried behind pairs of worn in shoes and crumpled up ties. Honestly, he didn’t know why it was that he wanted it so badly, but it just seemed so right, somehow. After he’d bought it and clipped it to his chest for the first time he no longer cared what other sense had called out to him to purchase the canvas because with it strapped to his sternum he’d never felt more himself. Originally, the boys had made fun of him a bit, asking what he even needed to carry in it, after all he was only fifteen. He wasn’t sure what he planned to carry in it, but it didn’t matter. He would figure it out and he swore to himself that at some point his bandmates would thank him for carrying it.
Series: JatP, my own personal universe [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2145687
Comments: 12
Kudos: 97





	Five Times Alex’s Fanny Packed Helped Sunset Curve and One Time it Helped Alex

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fanfic/writing project in like forever. So please go easy on me. Thank you for reading! Also if people like this I have a few new ideas..

1.)

None of them can decide who put the movie on, but they can all decide that it had been going well. It was funny and dramatic and Forrest Gump was a likeable character with an interesting story. It was at the end, though, that one by one they began to regret the choice of films. As the camera panned away from Jenny’s grave, Alex heard the first sniffle beside him, watching from his periphery as one of his bandmates scrubbed across their cheek, tears already streaming down them. 

“It’s just not fair… He finally got her back and now she’s dead..and Forrest Jr, doesn’t have a mom..” Reggie croaked and Alex had a feeling it was the mom thing that upset him the most. His parents kind of sucked and Reggie had a bad habit of adopting his friends’ parents to replace the neglect of his own.

Luke spoke up next, his own voice cracking slightly, “Aw, come on, man… He’s still gonna have a good life…” 

Bobby hummed in agreement but even from this odd angle, looking down at Bobby who was sat on the floor between Alex’s knees, the drummer could see the drops of glistening water lining his oldest friends’ face. With a sigh, Alex unzipped the fanny pack secured to his chest and he dug out the pack of tissues he’d shoved in the pouch only a few days before. From each boy came a mumbled thanks as Alex distributed the tissues with a hidden smirk. Sure, he was sad, too, but he couldn’t help but be a bit smug about how he was, per usual, the only one prepared.

2.)  
The show started in just about twenty minutes and all four boys were beyond pumped. It wasn’t a gig different from any others they’d done before, but this club boasted having way more managers crawling around than their usual haunts. It had all three teeangers beyond excited.. Maybe too excited.

“I’m going to die, oh god. Oh no…” Luke near moaned from where he was across the room, hands dug in his pockets and eyes frantic.

“What’s up, dude?” Bobby asked, fingers tuning his own guitar as he glanced over at his friend, not worried. Luke had a tendency to be a bit overdramatic.

“I forgot to grab extra picks! I can’t play half our set without one and I don’t have any!” He crowed back, glancing at Bobby as if he’d have more.

“Luke, you want Sunset Curve to get big but you can’t remember to grab extra picks when you leave the house? C’mon, dude. What kind of lead guitarist are you?” Bobby asked, some annoyance creeping into his voice. Almost every show he wound up giving his picks to Luke because the boy was so forgetful. “I only have the one. I have to constantly give you mine. I’m all tapped out, bro.”

Luke was about to argue, the anger flashing in his eyes at Bobby’s snide comment. Alex sighed, ever the mature one, and stepped between the two even though they were still probably twenty feet apart. Without a word he unzipped his fanny back and slipped his fingers inside. It took a couple of seconds, but soon his index finger and thumb clasped the small pile of rubber banded picks he’d begun keeping around a few months ago. Luke really did have a bad habit of getting too excited for a show and forgetting to grab backup picks. “Here. There’s enough for both of you if needed. Now stop arguing. We have a show in a few minutes.”

Both guitarists looked at each other, throwing the same look of shock around between them before Luke eased his face into his signature crooked smile. “Thanks, ‘Lex. You’re the best.” As Alex raised an eyebrow at him he sighed and looked back at Bobby, quickly adding in, “Sorry, Bobbers. I’ll try to remember from now on and stop filching them from you.”

Bobby nodded, the tension melting away into their normal camaraderie. “No big deal, man. Thanks, Alex.” He smiled at the drummer who smiled back, glad to have helped.  
3.)  
The van they were sat in was hot and sticky, the humidity of the summer night clinging to their skin and soaking their already sweaty hair. Their parents may not all fully support the band, but Bobby had saved for two years to get this van and he would not be stopped in driving them to gigs a few towns over. Truly, being able to drive had opened up a lot more doors for opportunities. Alex and Bobby were the only two with licenses right now, but they usually didn’t go more than a maximum of five hours away, so it didn’t much matter as the driving shifts weren’t too long.

Now, at just about 2 am they were only about an hour from home, having left right after their set was over, wanting to get home and shower rather than sleep in the back of the cramped van. All four boys were tired, the adrenaline having worn off nearly two hours before, and Luke was half asleep on Reggie’s shoulder in the back while Alex navigated beside Bobby in the passenger seat. It was only because he was in the passenger seat that Alex noticed the palace complexion his friend had gained.

“Hey,” he whispered, quiet for the benefit of half asleep Luke but also because Alex knew how Bobby was with being ‘weak.’ “You doing alright? You’re lookin’ a bit..pale.”

Bobby nodded slightly, barely a bob of his chin, eyes glued to the empty road ahead of him. “Yeah… Just feelin’ a bit nauseous…”

Alex immediately racked his brain for the last time his friend had eaten. They’d all had breakfast together at Bobby’s this morning, chowing down on the last of the cereal in the house. Then before they’d gone to soundcheck Bobby had stopped at a fast food joint and bought them all burgers..at noon. Alex, Luke and Reggie had stolen snacks from the bar between sound check and the show, charming the bartender into allowing it with sweet smiles and puppy dog eyes.. But Bobby had been too busy finishing set up on stage and flirting with the waitress helping him. So, that was it then, Bobby hadn’t eaten in over twelve hours. Dumbass, Alex thought fondly, though exasperated. Bobby had a bad habit of forgetting to eat regularly.

“Pull over.” Alex whispered, hands unclipping his fanny pack from his chest to make his search easier.

“I’m not gonna puke, Alexander.” Bobby rolled his eyes even if it did cause his head to ache more. 

“Not saying you’re gonna, Bobbert. Now, pull over or I’ll pull the emergency brake.” He replied calmly, the items he needed secured in his lap as he reattached the fanny pack to his chest.

With a heavy sigh, Bobby pulled off to the side of the road, parking the van crookedly and turning to look at his bandmate. He didn’t get a chance to ask why he’d needed to stop when Alex shoved something wrapped in crinkly foil into his hand and something lukewarm and plastic. A granola bar and a small water bottle. He couldn’t even open his mouth before Alex spoke, “Let me drive the rest of the way. Eat the snack and we can stop at In-N-Out if you need more. I’ve got enough for a burger or two.”

Bobby was in awe as he scooted out of his seat and let Alex take his position in front of the steering wheel. How had his friend known? And why did he just have snacks stored in his fanny pack? No way that was comfortable. But Bobby didn’t ask, unwrapping the half squashed food bar and taking a bite, thankful for his best friend and hoping it showed through with the smile he gave him.

4.)  
Luke was chattering excitedly with the manager of the place they’d just performed at. He had just offered to give out their name to a few talent agents that he knew and Alex was standing close by, watching. Reggie and Bobby were talking up some other nearby scouts, trying to get some other smaller gigs while Luke and Alex worked on what Luke had dubbed, for the moment, the ‘big fish.’

Alex had sort of checked out, Luke’s words becoming a nice hum in the back of his mind as he thought of other things. Things like how he couldn’t wait to get home and go to bed. Or the bigger thing that had been on his mind for months now..coming out to his family. He’d already done it with the boys, who had accepted him and spent nearly an hour joking around about how he must have had a crush on one of them. So now he was just wondering how to do it with his parents and what their possible reaction would be, though he didn’t think it would be bad. When they’d found out about his anxiety they’d just taken him to a therapist and gotten him help. When he said he wanted to join a band, they’d bought him a drum set. So why wouldn’t they be supportive about this?

These thoughts are why Alex didn’t realize Luke had asked him a question until a hand was on his shoulder and Luke was shaking him, a bit harder than necessary. “Oh, uh, sorry. What’s up?”

Luke looked a bit annoyed, but Alex could see the concern trickling through. He was sure there would be a conversation later about his spacing. “Mikey here wanted to give us his number and the number of a record producer. Do you have a pen?”

Alex automatically opened his fanny pack and grabbed out the nice ballpoint pen he had and the small notebook he kept stored there. The notebook was a newer addition, but definitely needed. They’d lost a few gigs because of Luke’s messy scrawl on sweaty skin, thus prompting Alex to get a notebook… A notebook that he was noticing just now had been decorated? As he flipped it to a clean page, his cheeks tinted red, and he prayed that the manager didn’t see Reggie’s loopy font on the front of the book proclaiming “Sunset Curve’s Only Brain Cell.”

Luke let Alex take down the names and numbers, knowing it was the only way any of them would be able to read them. Once the manager had left, off to check in on actual customers, Luke smiled up at his friend with a warm, crooked grin. “Thanks, bro. You’re a real lifesaver.” His grin turned into a wry smirk, “And apparently the keeper of our only brain cell?”

Alex felt his cheeks brighten again as he blushed, warm and fluttery, “I swear, I’m going to kill Reggie…”He thought about it for a moment. “He’s not wrong, though.”

Luke laughed, swinging his arm over his friends’ shoulder, “No. No, he isn’t.”

5.)  
Winter sucked for all the bandmates. Bobby was always busier during the colder season because of his family and their traditions. Luke usually wound up fighting more with his parents who always wound up spending winter break trying to convince him he needed a different plan for the future. Alex was always extra cold in winter, usually wearing at minimum two layers under his baggy, pink hoodies. And Reggie had asthma. It was something that nearly never bothered him, not even after busy gigs or PE class in school. Winter seemed to be the only time that it ever flared up, making it sort of predictable, but still always easily forgotten.

Like most Fridays, the band was hanging in the studio, the four of them all doing separate tasks after band practice had ended. Luke was scribbling lyrics while Bobby strummed some random tune on his guitar up in the loft, the sound drifting down to the other three. Alex was sorting through his clothes, trying to organize what was shoved into the garbage bags littering the studio and make them at least identifiable as to who owned what. Reggie was near the instrument stands, sitting on the floor. Last Alex had checked he’d been fiddling with his own lyrics, some sort of country song they all knew he would be trying to push on Luke soon enough.

With a sigh, Alex pushed away the last of his worn down hoodies, some still tangled up with Luke’s sleeveless tanks. He needed a break, and maybe a snack. He wondered if Bobby had any more pizza rolls and stood to go ask, turning to head towards the loft. As he did his eyes caught on Reggie, still curled in on himself over his own tattered notebook, but even from here Alex could see something was off. He looked too rigid, almost like he was in pain?

Stepping closer, Alex leaned down to ask the bassist if he was okay when he heard it: the telltale wheezing of an asthma attack taking hold of Reggie’s lungs. Shit. Without thinking he dropped to his knees on the concrete and tried to pull his bandmate into a straighter position, trying to help him open his lungs further. “Luke! Bobby!”

Once he had Luke beside him, Bobby’s hurried footsteps down the ladder of the loft in the background, he shoved his hands under Reggie’s armpits even though the poor kid was still fighting to curl back into himself. “Bathroom?” Luke asked as he mimicked Alex’s movement and hoisted the smaller boy up by his armpit.

“Bathroom.” Alex confirmed in a strained voice, brain going a mile a minute as they all but carried their wheezing friend. Having done this enough times, Bobby had gotten the memo and raced for the bathroom, turning the shower to full temp. Once the remainder of Sunset Curve was in the shoebox sized room, Bobby shut the door behind them.

Luke and Alex settled Reggie by the front of the shower, water splashing them as it bounced from the tiled floor. The steam here would hopefully help alleviate some of Reggie’s pain and allow his airways to open partially. “Reg, do you have your inhaler, buddy?” Luke asked, dipping his head low to meet their friends red-rimmed eyes. A sad, scared head shake followed and Luke’s eyes dashed from Bobby to Alex, panic maring his expression. “Do you know where he left it??”

Bobby was about to make some sort of a guess when Alex shook his head. Freeing Reggie’s arm, which he’d been holding above the younger boys’ head in a futile attempt to help open his lungs, he unzipped the fanny pack he always had. It was only a second before he closed his fist around the prize, the red plastic bright against the balck of the bag. He popped the cap, letting it skitter across the floor to the unknowns under the sink, and pressed the open end into Reggie’s mouth. The bassist looked pitiful as Alex pressed down on the canister, listening to the hiss of the medicine and watching Reggie to make sure he held his breath.

Obviously he didn’t hold it long, but even after only one puff, Alex could hear the improvement in his friends breathing. So, when he was sure Reggie was ready for another dose, he pressed down again. Reggie did better this time, managing to hold the medicine in his lungs a good ten seconds before he released shakily, slumping into the wall of the tub. Luke was rubbing Reggie’s chest as Alex pulled the inhaler back from Reggie’s mouth, eyes searching his face.

Reggie nodded weakly, air still pushing from behind his teeth in ragged, uneven gasps. Alex sighed as quietly as possible and settled back against the drywall behind him, his anxiety not disappearing but receding as Reggie was no longer in imminent danger.

Bobby was the first to speak, nearly ten minutes later, hair stuck to his forehead as the steam from the shower continued to drench them each in humidity. “Okay. It’s official. Alex is the only member of this band that’s responsible. That fanny pack of his is a goddamn lifesaver.”

Reggie wheezed out a tired, “Literally.” At the same time that Luke cried out in outrage. “Hey! I’m responsible! Just because I don’t carry around Reggie’s inhaler doesn’t mean I’m not responsible! I’ve even kept my side of the garage clean.”

Bobby rolled his eyes at his friends’ pout, “Your side is only clean because we moved all your shit the other day to build a fort. You are so not responsible, Lucas. Look at how many guitar picks you’ve lost or how many times we’ve had to do your homework ‘cause you forgot.”

Luke glared, though no real heat was ever held behind it, “My name is Luke, not Lucas. And I’ll have you know that I did all my homework last semester! You’re the one who nearly failed science!”

With their voices in the background, the normal bickering that always gave Alex an odd form of comfort, he let his hand fall to Reggie’s back to keep an eye on his bandmates’ breathing. He was the responsible one and he was the anxious one, and some days he wondered if these boys would be the death of him...but if they were? Well, Alex wouldn’t have it any other way.

+1  
They’d all been buzzing, their energies all synced and their bodies all jittering as they tried to figure out what to do with this energy. They’d done it. They’d finally done it. Calling in every favor, playing book clubs and outside clubs, and countless months of working their asses off had finally paid off. They were playing the Orpheum. Luke had given them the confirmation this morning, though he’d had an idea of it for nearly a week now. How he’d managed to hide it made no sense to Alex, but it didn’t matter. They had finally done it. This was going to be their big break.

To celebrate, Reggie and Luke had pooled their minimal cash and Reggie had run down to the corner store to buy them a cake. It wasn’t going to be super fancy, but it would be nice to be able to celebrate together...Especially after everything that had happened this year.

Luke had run away from home after his mom’s constant worries over her sons’ future had gotten to be too pressing for the teen. Reggie had shown up to band practice more than a few times shaking and littered in bruises and cuts, promising his parents hadn’t touched him but that he’d inserted himself between the two. (If the other three had snuck to his house and left super glue in their shoes and eggs in their pillows, who ever needed to know.) Bobby had failed his science class and was being held back. And Alex had come out to his parents only to spend every moment after receiving a horrible case of cold shoulder and deafening silence no matter what he did. So yeah, they could use something to celebrate.

Thankfully, before Alex could truly dampen his mood with thoughts of the past year, Reggie walked through the studio doors, brandishing a good sized cake and a two-liter of soda. “We’re not legal to drink, but this seemed better than the spoiled milk in the fridge.”

Bobby groaned, eying Luke in annoyance, “You let it spoil again? Mom’s not gonna let me keep bringing you groceries if they’re wasted, dude.”

Luke rolled his eyes, smirking as he flicked a rubber band towards Bobby’s head, “Your mom loves me, bro, even if I don’t drink all the milk. So, chill.”

As their usual bickering began, Reggie passed a plate to Alex, smiling at the drummer. Alex smiled back and moved to the bean bag in the corner to sit and eat. And yes, it was because he knew without a shadow of a doubt that Luke and Bobby would be throwing cake soon and he didn’t feel like cleaning frosting out of the pink fabric of his favorite hoodie.

Scooping a good size amount up with the plastic fork he’d stolen from the pile of plastic silverware that was in the studio, Alex smiled at his band, his family. He truly loved them all more than he ever realized he would.Swallowing the cake down, he went in for another bite. It was good, not too rich and just sweet enough to make his taste buds happy, though he couldn’t actually place the flavor of the cake. Definitely a white cake, but there was a hint of something he just couldn’t place. Until he had the third bite hovering at his lips and he realized that he didn’t quite feel… right? Something was off. It took nearly a full three seconds for Alex’s brain to catch up and supply him the obvious answer. His throat felt tight and the tingling on his tongue wasn’t because of the sugar he so rarely indulged in.

“Reg…” He started slowly, noticing the soft rasp in his voice already. Yeah. He was fucked. “What kind of cake is this?”

Reggie smiled at him, not noticing something was off yet, and grabbing the cake container to read the lid. “French vanilla with some fancy custard filling thing. I dunno, it just says it has a ‘baker’s special filling’.” He shrugged, placing it down and returning his gaze to Alex. Even Reggie could see the strain on Alex’s face, now, though..”Why? Alex, what’s wrong?”

Once the words had left Reggie’s mouth, both Luke and Bobby turned to look at Alex, worry painting their boyish features. Alex wasn’t sure what he looked like from the outside, but he knew what he felt like. Already it was getting hard to breath and his fingers felt cold and clammy, eyes too dry and lips sticking together as he forced out the only word he really needed to. “Nuts.”

If Alex had ever thought he reacted quickly in a crisis, he’d never seen his three bandmates before. He’d barely blinked and he was surrounded. Reggie had so much guilt on his face and all Alex wanted to do was ease it, but he was a bit busy dying to manage that. Bobby was quick to get Alex out of the bean bag chair and leaned against his chest, arms wrapped around his bandmate. Luke took the lead, forcing the drummer’s eyes to his, “Alex, where’s your epi pen?”

It was a dumb question and Luke should have known that, but it was easier to ask than to assume and be wrong. It’s not like they had a lot of time. Alex’s hands fumbled, scraping across Bobby’s on his chest as he reached for the fanny pack clasped there. Bobby undid it long before Alex could get his fingers around the clasp and he passed it to Reggie.

The bassist dropped it to the floor, unzipping it and upending the contents onto the concrete of the studio. Out came a half used pack of tissues, the notebook still covered in Reggie’s handwriting, two stacks of guitar picks, a crushed granola bar, a pack of bandages and alcohol wipes, Reggie’s spare inhaler, the keys to the van, some gum, and finally the epi pen. It had barely clattered to the floor before Luke had swiped it, looking unsettled even has he uncapped the thing. This wasn’t the first time he’d had to use it.

“Alright, ‘Lex. Nice and easy, yeah? Bobby’s holding you and Reggie’s gonna get you a glass of water when this is over, okay? Won’t hurt a bit.” Luke lied, knowing it wouldn’t calm Alex who knew the truth, but still putting it out into the world so Alex could gleam a bit of false hope from it.

Alex nodded, faintly feeling the pins and needles intensify around his sternum where Bobby must’ve been holding him. His lungs felt like they were on fire and he couldn’t quite make out Luke’s full form in front of him through the haze of tears clouding his vision, but he trusted him. He closed his eyes and waited, but it was barely a moment later when pain exploded across his thigh and he let out a strangled cry, bucking into Bobby behind him. 

Faintly he heard the calming reassurances from all his friends as the pain ached and his lungs opened to allow in a painful rush of air. The adrenaline now coursing through his veins made his limbs shake, but he could breathe again. He could breathe and the numbness in his fingers and toes receded just enough for him to grip at Bobby’s hands.

He felt more than heard the guitarist behind him breathe a sigh of relief, but he did notice the sag of Luke’s shoulders as he crouched beside him. “You okay?”

Alex hummed, voice hoarse and scratchy and the exhaustion that always came after setting in. Technically, he should go to a hospital, just in case...but none of the boys had the money for that and honestly, his parents probably didn’t care enough now to take him. His band, his family, would spend the next few hours in shifts, watching him for any signs of a reaction and taking care of him.

He allowed his brothers to drag him up and over to the already open couch, settling between the three of them as they situated themselves. Everything was fuzzy and blurred, but Alex remembered sipping something cool and relieving and then warm arms wrapping around his torso. Reggie must feel horrible and even through the haze, Alex promised himself when he woke up he’d make the bassist feel better. It wasn’t his fault. Alex should’ve checked the box. After all, he was the responsible one. But for now, warm and far too heavy, Alex allowed himself to drift off in the comfort of his bandmate’s arms, excited about the future and beyond thankful he had these boys in his life forever.


End file.
